I was sent this link to a great article on three different orchestras created to promote peace among extremely, seemingly different peoples...
Conductor Daniel Barenboim is on tour to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra. The orchestra is composed of young Israeli and Arab musicians...
The article also describes an inter-religious orchestra of Jewish, Muslim and Catholic musicians formed in Argentina, called ArmonÃas (Harmonies), the first of its kind in the country. And Miguel Angel Estrella, an Argentine pianist and present Argentine ambassador to UNESCO living in Paris, has formed Orchestra for Peace, made of young Israeli and Arab musicians from Israel, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria and Palestine. Estrella was told that to create this orchestra was an "impossible dream"...sound familiar?
Read the full article to learn more: http://www.metimes.com/Opinion/2009/01/15/music_is_a_messenger_for_peace/3801/
"The Singing Revolution" has taught me that peace can emerge in the most unlikely of places, and the power that music can play is again displayed in these examples. But in Estonia, music provided hope, solidarity, the motivation and human bond that was need to fuel a revolution - that was the foundation. And they also had a strategy. Sometimes developed on the spot, never knowing what the repercussions would be, but there was a plan, steps were taken to build on the foundation that actions like these orchestras, or 100,000 people singing in a field, can provide. So the big question is, how can these new orchestral foundations be built upon to implement greater peace in their global audience?